B. Alan Wallace "87 is not the typical Amherst alumnus. Author of more than 20 books on Buddhism and science and a practicing Buddhist monk for the entirety of his time at the College, he now goes on meditative retreats for months on end, performing psychological experiments in a lucid dream state to attempt to discover the true nature of reality, happiness and suffering.
Finding His Own Path
Wallace was born to a devoutly Christian family and spent his youth travelling the world with his Protestant theologian father. However, he was strongly interested in science from a young age and struggled to reconcile his passion for science with his deeply spiritual upbringing.
"I was looking for an integration of truth and meaning. Christianity offered meaning, but I couldn't tell whether it was true; science offered truth, but I couldn't see any meaning in it. I was looking for a true and meaningful life, and I didn't see any real options or promising avenues," Wallace said.
When he went to the Univ. of California-San Diego in 1968 to study ecology, he soon became disillusioned with both his classes and America in the turmoil of the Vietnam War. Seeking a change of scenery, he spent his junior year abroad, studying at the Univ. of Göttingen in Germany, where he first discovered Tibetan Buddhism. He quickly became engrossed by Tibetan culture and religion, discontinuing his university education and spending months in a local Buddhist monastery studying under the guidance of German monks. At last, he had found a belief system that united his love of science with his search for meaning.
"I found what I was looking for in Tibetan Buddhism. It's very deeply experiential; it's very sharp, very rational and intelligent - and it's also profoundly meaningful. To my mind, it's a true, comprehensive science of the mind that I haven't found anywhere else. It's both scientific and also deeply spiritual," Wallace said.
During his time at the German monastery, a flier arrived announcing a year-long class on Tibetan Buddhism for Westerners taught in Dharamsala, India under the supervision of the Dalai Lama in exile. After meditating on the opportunity and seeking guidance from his lama at the monastery, Wallace decided to enroll in the course and traveled to India to begin perhaps the most transformative period of his life.
Staying in the home of the Dalai Lama's personal physician, Wallace fell in love with the freedom and intellectual fulfillment offered by his studies. After three months in the program, at the age of 21, Wallace had his first personal meeting with the Dalai Lama, and instantly knew he had found his mentor.
"I knew I found my spiritual guide or guru or lama if you'd like. He's been my teacher ever since," Wallace said...
http://amherststudent.amherst.edu/?q=article/2012/11/12/marriage-between-buddhism-and-science
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